In a moment when a great power has chosen to punish a court for daring to name the powerful, the European Parliament has lifted that court onto a higher stage, honouring the International Criminal Court with its Sakharov Prize for the defence of conscience and law. The gesture arrives only weeks after Washington moved to choke the tribunal's daily life with sanctions, a reminder that the old human struggle to make justice reach across borders still meets resistance from those who would prefer to remain unaccountable. Europe has answered with recognition and with the promise of shields, though
US-Sanctioned ICC Wins EU's Sakharov Prize Weeks After Trump Vows to Dismantle Court
In a moment when a great power has chosen to punish a court for daring to name the powerful, the European Parliament has lifted that court onto a higher stage, honouring the International Criminal Court with its Sakharov Prize for the defence of conscience and law. The gesture arrives only weeks after Washington moved to choke the tribunal's daily life with sanctions, a reminder that the old human struggle to make justice reach across borders still meets resistance from those who would prefer to remain unaccountable. Europe has answered with recognition and with the promise of shields, though what those shields will ultimately hold back remains an open question.
On Thursday, Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, announced that the Sakharov Prize, the Union's highest human rights honour, would go to the International Criminal Court. The announcement came less than two weeks after Donald Trump unveiled sanctions designed to cripple the court's operations. Metsola said the award reflected what the EU stands for: multilateralism, international institutions and the work of upholding law and justice.
The prize is the second international honour tied to the court this month, following the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge. The Hague-based court, which tries war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, responded that it was receiving the honour at a time of unprecedented pressure. Its president, Tomoko Akane, said the recognition mattered most precisely because of that pressure.
Washington's campaign has deep roots. It escalated after 2024, when the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the new measures in a video, describing the court as rogue and fake and saying Americans are not subject to its jurisdiction. The sanctions reach ICC judges and prosecutors, a UN special rapporteur, and Palestinian rights groups that have given evidence to the court.
The measures take effect in six months. Brussels plans to use that window to persuade Washington to reconsider, and is weighing a blocking statute to protect the court. How far the EU is willing to go, and how the United States responds, will decide what comes next.
On Thursday, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, announced that the European Union's top human rights award, the Sakharov Prize, was going to the International Criminal Court. The announcement came less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump unveiled new sanctions aimed at the court.
Metsola framed the choice as a statement of what the Union stands for. The EU, she said, is built on respect for multilateralism and international institutions, and the prize recognises the court's work in upholding international law and justice.
It is the second international honour tied to the court this month. Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting peace and international law.
The ICC, based in The Hague, tries individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In its response, the court thanked the European Parliament and said it was receiving the honour at a time when it and its officials face unprecedented challenges. Its president, Tomoko Akane, said the prize carries particular significance in that context, reaffirming the importance of independent judicial institutions and of those who work to uphold international law.
The court has long been a target of Trump. His campaign against it escalated after 2024, when the ICC announced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The administration has promised to dismantle the court "brick by brick" and has now announced sanctions meant to cripple its day-to-day operations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures in a video posted on social media. The United States, he said, will ban transactions with what he called a rogue court, cutting off its resources and its ability to operate against Americans, because the US and its people are not subject to the jurisdiction of what he called a fake ICC.
The measures extend beyond the institution itself. Washington has also sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors, along with a UN special rapporteur focused on the occupied Palestinian territories and Palestinian rights groups that have given evidence to the court.
The EU has already backed the court. The new sanctions are due to take effect in six months, and the bloc has said it is ready to take any necessary measures to ensure the court can keep functioning. After the prize was announced, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted that the ICC must be free to pursue its mission independently and without pressure or intimidation.
Brussels intends to use the six-month delay to try to talk the US down. According to EU officials, it is also considering a "blocking statute" to shield the court from Washington's measures. Whether the EU actually invokes that tool, and how the US responds, will shape the next stage of the dispute.
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